Being a ‘Trimmigrant’ is One of the Hardest Jobs in the Marijuana Black Market

The Emerald Triangle is a remote area of Northern California that has long been considered the “world’s best-known ganja-growing region.” It produces over half of the marijuana consumed in the US.

Nearly every green, leafy bud that leaves the Emerald Triangle has been carefully pruned with a pair of scissors to remove its leaves.

And every summer, tens of thousands of migrant workers, called “trimmigrants,” swarm the area to do just that. Students from nearby colleges and visitors from far-off countries work through the harvest, which typically ends in November, earning between $100 and $300 a day for 10 to 15 hours of labor.

While trimming kush might sound like a cushy gig, it’s actually one of the hardest jobs in the marijuana black market, according to a recent investigation from Reveal reporter Shoshana Walter. She spent months talking to trimmigrants about the abuse they’ve faced in California’s pot country.